mean /miːn/ CET4 ( meaning, meant, means )

• 1. 

  V-T If you want to know what a word, code, signal, or gesture means, you want to know what it refers to or what its message is. 意思是… [no cont]

  例：

  "Credible" means "believable."

  的意思是。

  例：

  What does "evidence" mean?

  是什么意思？

• 2. 

  V-T If you ask someone what they mean, you are asking them to explain exactly what or who they are referring to or what they are intending to say. 意指 [no cont]

  例：

  Do you mean me?

  你指我吗？

  例：

  Let me illustrate what I mean with an old story.

  让我用一个老故事来说明我指的是什么吧。

• 3. 

  V-T If something means something to you, it is important to you in some way. (对某人) 很重要 [no cont]

  例：

  The idea that she witnessed this shameful incident meant nothing to him.

  他知道她目击了这可耻的一幕，但这对他来说并不重要。

• 4. 

  V-T If one thing means another, it shows that the second thing exists or is true. 表明…的存在; 表明…属实 [no cont]

  例：

  An enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean cancer.

  肿大的前列腺并不一定表明癌症的存在。

• 5. 

  V-T If one thing means another, the first thing leads to the second thing happening. 导致 [no cont]

  例：

  It would almost certainly mean the end of NATO.

  这的确几乎导致北大西洋公约组织的终结。

• 6. 

  V-T If doing one thing means doing another, it involves doing the second thing. 意味着

  例：

  Children universally prefer to live in peace and security, even if that means living with only one parent.

  孩子们普遍愿意过平静安宁的生活，即使那意味着只能和单亲生活在一起。

• 7. 

  V-T If you say that you mean what you are saying, you are telling someone that you are serious about it and are not joking, exaggerating, or just being polite. 对…当真 [no cont]

  例：

  He says you're fired if you're not back at work on Friday. And I think he meant it.

  他说如果你周五不回来上班的话，就会被解雇。我想他是当真的。

• 8. 

  V-T If you say that someone meant to do something, you are saying that they did it deliberately. 有意 [no cont]

  例：

  I didn't mean to hurt you.

  我不是有意要伤害你。

  例：

  If that sounds harsh, it is meant to.

  如果那声音听起来是刺耳的，它就是如此。

• 9. 

  V-T If you say that someone did not mean any harm, offence, or disrespect, you are saying that they did not intend to upset or offend people or to cause problems, even though they may in fact have done so. 本意为 [no cont, with brd-neg]

  例：

  I'm sure he didn't mean any harm.

  我敢肯定他本无恶意。

• 10. 

  V-T If you mean to do something, you intend or plan to do it. 打算 [no cont]

  例：

  Summer is the perfect time to catch up on the new books you meant to read.

  夏天是补看想读的新书的最佳时间。

• 11. 

  V-T If you say that something was meant to happen, you believe that it was made to happen by God or fate, and did not just happen by chance. 注定 [usu passive, no cont]

  例：

  John was constantly reassuring me that we were meant to be together.

  约翰不停地安慰我说，我们注定在一起。

• 12. 

  PHRASE You say "I mean" when making clearer something that you have just said. 也就是说 [口语]

  例：

  It was his idea. Gordon's, I mean.

  那是他的主意。也就是说，戈登的主意。

• 13. 

  PHRASE You can use "I mean" to introduce a statement, especially one that justifies something that you have just said. 我的意思是 (证明前述) [口语]

  例：

  I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean, I was the one who asked him.

  我肯定他不会介意。我的意思是，我就是问他的那个人。

• 14. 

  PHRASE You say I mean when correcting something that you have just said. 我刚才是说 [口语]

  例：

  It was law or classics – I mean English or classics.

  那是法律或者古典文学–我是说，英语或者古典文学。

• 15. 

  PHRASE If you know what it means to do something, you know everything that is involved in a particular activity or experience, especially the effect that it has on you. (亲身) 体会了解

  例：

  I know what it means to lose a child under such tragic circumstances.

  我能切身体会在那样悲惨的情况下失去孩子的感觉。

• 16. 

  PHRASE If a name, word, or phrase means something to you, you have heard it before and you know what it refers to. 对某人来说意味着什么

  例：

  "Oh, Gairdner," he said, as if that meant something to him.

  “啊，盖尔德纳，”他说道，好像这个名字对他来说意味着什么。

• 17. 

  PHRASE You use "you mean" in a question to check that you have understood what someone has said. 你是说 (疑问句中用于核实是否理解别人所说的话)

  例：

  What accident? You mean Christina's?

  什么事故？你是说克里斯蒂娜的那次吗？

• 18. 

  → see also meaning, means, meant

• 19. 

  you know what I mean →see know